Detroit weather in May: Detroit, Michigan: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Detroit in May has a normal high of 70°F and a normal low of 50°F, a daily mean of 60°F, rising from 65°F on the 1st to 75°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 3.72 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 10°C, 94 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationDetroit Metro Airport
- Station IDUSW00094847
- Location42.23°N 83.33°W
- Elevation631 ft (192 m)
- From the center16 miles
- Population645,705
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 35° 21°
- Mar 46° 29°
- Apr 59° 39°
- May 70° 50°
- Jun 80° 60°
- Jul 84° 64°
- Aug 81° 63°
- Sep 74° 56°
- Oct 62° 44°
- Nov 49° 34°
- Dec 37° 25°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Detroit in May?
The normal high is 70°F and the normal low 50°F, for a daily mean of 60.3°F. May is 11.4°F warmer than April and 9.6°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Detroit and the wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 10°F, from 65°F on May 1 to 75°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 57°F and 64°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 42%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 65°F | 45°F | 42% | 24% |
| May 8 | 68°F | 47°F | 42% | 25% |
| May 15 | 70°F | 50°F | 41% | 24% |
| May 22 | 72°F | 52°F | 40% | 24% |
| May 31 | 75°F | 56°F | 39% | 23% |
Every day of May: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon May 31, coldest night May 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 65°F | 45°F | 42% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 65°F | 45°F | 42% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 66°F | 46°F | 42% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 4 | 66°F | 46°F | 42% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 67°F | 46°F | 42% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 67°F | 47°F | 42% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 67°F | 47°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 8 | 68°F | 47°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 9 | 68°F | 48°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 68°F | 48°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 69°F | 49°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 12 | 69°F | 49°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 13 | 69°F | 49°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 70°F | 50°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 15 | 70°F | 50°F | 41% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 70°F | 50°F | 41% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 17 | 71°F | 51°F | 41% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 18 | 71°F | 51°F | 41% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 71°F | 51°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 20 | 72°F | 52°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 21 | 72°F | 52°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 22 | 72°F | 52°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 23 | 73°F | 53°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 73°F | 53°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 25 | 73°F | 53°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 26 | 74°F | 54°F | 39% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 74°F | 54°F | 39% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 74°F | 54°F | 39% | 23% | 15 h |
| May 29 | 75°F | 55°F | 39% | 23% | 15 h |
| May 30 | 75°F | 55°F | 39% | 23% | 15 h |
| May 31 | 75°F | 56°F | 39% | 23% | 15 h |
- Normal high
- 70°FMay average
- Normal low
- 50°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.72 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 hMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 16
- Days at 80°F or more
- 7
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094847; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Detroit in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 41% on average, highest around May 1 (42%). In all, 3.72 in falls on 13 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Detroit, 1 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094847.
How humid and windy is Detroit in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 73°F with 49% relative humidity and a dew point of 53°F; at 6 a.m. it is 58°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 8.2 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 58°F | 52°F | 80% | 6.2 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 66°F | 53°F | 64% | 8.7 mph | – |
| noon | 71°F | 53°F | 54% | 10.3 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 73°F | 53°F | 49% | 11.1 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 71°F | 52°F | 51% | 10.7 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 65°F | 52°F | 63% | 7.1 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094847. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for May in Detroit?
The warmest May temperature on Detroit's official record (since 1874) is 95°F, on May 31, 1895; the coldest is 25°F, on May 10, 1966. The wettest May brought 8.46 in (2004); the snowiest, 6.0 inches (1923).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 60.3°F: 2021 59.0°F (−1.3), 2022 64.2°F (+3.9), 2023 59.7°F (−0.6), 2024 64.7°F (+4.4), 2025 58.1°F (−2.2), 2026 58.7°F (−1.6). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59.0°F | −1.3°F | 2.23 in |
| 2022 | 64.2°F | +3.9°F | 3.81 in |
| 2023 | 59.7°F | −0.6°F | 0.92 in |
| 2024 | 64.7°F | +4.4°F | 2.55 in |
| 2025 | 58.1°F | −2.2°F | 3.98 in |
| 2026 | 58.7°F | −1.6°F | 2.20 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record DTWthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094847. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Detroit compare across Michigan?
Across the 140 places PlainClimate covers in Michigan, May normal highs run from 57°F in Harrisville to 73°F in Eau Claire; Detroit's is 70°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.